Summary
Aloy is a fierce, red-haired heroine who has stolen the spotlight amongst Sony’s roster of modern protagonists. Her journey begins withHorizon Zero Dawn,which introduces the character to the world and reveals her amazing origin story. Players will get to enjoy this tale yet again, as Sony has announced that anHZDremaster is planned for PC and PS5.
This isn’t a complete surprise, as rumors concerning aHorizon Zero Dawnremaster have swirled around. However, the reception to these rumors has been less than warm. Now that the full details of the remaster have been revealed, it may be time to reconsider how “necessary” anHZDremaster is and why it’s not exactly a meme.
Fans Have Their Doubts About the Horizon Zero Dawn Remaster
There have been rumors for a while that aHorizon Zero Dawnremaster is on its way. The rumors were met with ridicule from the gaming community, many of whom saw it as nothing but a cash grab. The main problem stems from the fact thatHorizon Zero Dawnwas originally released in 2017, making it quite a young game to be remastered. Furthermore,HZDhas already received a free update patch for PS5 which unlocked 60fps gameplay.
Many compared the situation to that ofThe Last of Us, which was released in 2013 and has already received two remasters - one for the PS4 and one for the PS5. All the remasters seem unnecessary when they are being applied to modern games that still look great and benefit from backward compatibility. The rumors died down for a while, but it has been confirmed that aHorizon Zero Dawnremaster is coming soon, and the details could make some players rethink their opinions.
Horizon Zero Dawn Remaster Brings a Lot of Welcome Improvements
TheHorizon Zero Dawnremasterlaunches on Halloween 2024, and it brings a lot of improvements that will attract the attention of newbies and returning players. It features over 10 hours of re-recorded conversation and mocap, which is welcome, as the cutscenes were some of the more graphically weak aspects ofHZD. There are also “countless graphical improvements” that have been introduced to bring up the game’s visual fidelity to that ofHorizon Forbidden West. The visual upgrades extend to the story’s main companions, who have been given character models and rendering to bring them in line with this gaming generation’s advancements.
The game’s audio hasn’t been neglected, and in addition to completely revamping the sound mix,HZDnow supports PS5 Tempest 3D Audio Tech to increase immersion. TheDualSense controllerhas also been used, and haptics and adaptive triggers have been implemented, adding a new sensory layer to exploration and combat. Players interested in the PS5 Pro will be happy to know that the game comes with native support for the upcoming console. PC players will also get their own set of features, including “support for ultra-wide resolutions and the latest performance-enhancing technologies like NVIDIA DLSS 3 and AMD FSR 3.1.”
The Package Comes at a Fair Price
Perhaps the best part of the remaster is its price. New players can purchase the remaster for $49.99 on PC and PlayStation, while players with anHZDdisk can grab the upgrade for $10. This isn’t a bad asking price for one of thebest post-apocalyptic gamesin recent years.
While it is true that theHZDremaster has come rather early, it comes with a host of upgrades that make it worth it. Most importantly, the price tag isn’t too big, and it’s priced perfectly to attract new players and series veterans wanting toexperience Aloy’s adventure yet again.
Horizon Zero Dawn
WHERE TO PLAY
EARTH IS OURS NO MOREExperience Aloy’s entire legendary quest to unravel the mysteries of a world ruled by deadly Machines.An outcast from her tribe, the young hunter fights to uncover her past, discover her destiny… and stop a catastrophic threat to the future.Unleash devastating, tactical attacks against unique Machines and rival tribes as you explore an open world teeming with wildlife and danger.Horizon Zero Dawn™ is a multi-award-winning action role-playing game – and this Complete Edition for PC includes the huge expansion The Frozen Wilds, featuring new lands, skills, weapons and Machines.
